Unions? We don't need no stinkin' unions

In bold defiance of the conventionally understood workings of the local space-time continuum, Barack Obama's campaign manager said Wednesday that Obama can win Nevada's Democratic presidential caucus without the the endorsement of the Culinary union.

During a conference call with reporters to announce additions to the campaign's field operations in the state, Obama national campaign manager David Plouffe said that obviously the campaign would like to have endorsements from the 60,000 strong Culinary union as well as the 16,000-member SEIU.

But Obama "can win the nomination and Nevada without those endorsements," Plouffe said. Support from the unions is "not essential, in my view, to victory."

Well, when you're down by 40 points in the latest (albeit probably meaningless) poll of NV Democrats, it's important to think positively.

Then again, as Plouffe said when he was in Las Vegas last month — Nevada voters really haven't engaged yet, and nobody but nobody knows how many people are going to actually turn up for the caucus thingy and how it's all going to shake out, etc., etc.

Meantime, in the effort to win the Nevada caucus (either with or without endorsed support from organized labor), the Obama campaign is opening up new offices this weekend in North Las Vegas, West Las Vegas, Carson City and Pahrump, and hiring additional organizers, which will bring the campaign's paid field staff in Nevada up to 50.

Also, to commemorate, or commiserate, as it were, the five-year anniversary of Hillary Clinton voting to give George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and the rest of Sheldon Adelson's heroes a blank check to invade a country that posed no threat to us, Obama staffers and volunteers will be canvasing the state this week to remind Democrats that Obama was opposed to the Iraq fiasco before being opposed to the Iraq fiasco was cool.

Plouffe is right that Nevada voters have yet to engage in the presidential campaign. In fact, we're increasingly of the mind that the vast and broad majority of Nevada voters are not going to engage in the presidential campaign at all, at least not for the caucus. But for those who do, when they do, Clinton's blank check vote, along with her disturbing willingness of late to blow up Iran, is exactly the sort of thing that the Obama campaign needs to hammer home.

It might not translate into a victory despite the unions. But who knows ... maybe it'll translate into victory with the unions.

Comments

[Tammy Metzler]

"Who cares about this stupid election? We all know it doesn't matter who gets elected president... Do you really think it's going to change anything around here; make one single person smarter or happier or nicer? The only person it does matter to is the one who gets elected. The same pathetic charade happens every year, and everyone makes the same pathetic promises just so they can put it on their transcripts to get into college. So vote for me, because I don't even want to go to college, and I don't care, and as president I won't do anything. The only promise I will make is that if elected I will immediately dismantle the student government, so that none of us will ever have to sit through one of these stupid assemblies again!

Or don't vote for me... who cares? Don't vote at all!"

[MikeZahara]

Wow, and they call me cynical.

Aren't you supposed to be dead Tammy-Faye?

[rearose]

bush destroy america economically- now clinton wil shape this this emss that bush craeted- clear winner here expreience and stremgh is hillary clinton no doubts about it if we scwred up again -its in gods hand. no more scwred up for the third time republcian party is very bad.bush veto the ahelth care for children and he destroy everyhitng- clinton then has surpolus bush spend and banflkrupt america.